The Museum of Space History — Attraction in Alamogordo

This was a neat little place to visit in Alamogordo after we had visited White Sands National Park. The admission was very affordable for a veteran and two kids ($20 total) and had plenty of parking during the hot summer July weekday that we came on. It was not crowded at all but when we left, there was a class of what seemed like Kindergartners coming in for a field trip.

The museum tour is self paced where you take the elevator to the top floor (5th) and then you make your way down to the ground level, at your own leisure, seeing the exhibits along the way. There are ramps that transition from one floor to the next so once you see the main exhibit on that particular floor, an ADA accessible ramp brings you down to the next floor.

There was one section that was closed off, but even missing that, an hour or two is really all you need here to see the exhibits. There are a few hands on exhibits to interact with too. The rocket garden in the front of the building looked closed due to some maintenance on the grounds as there was caution tape up blocking off the sidewalks, but I did not ask or attempt to see them up close (it was too hot anyway!). The chimp's grave was available to see and not closed.

My kids (11 and 13) enjoyed the air conditioned building and it wasn't boring inside. That's a win in my book! Also there was a small area dedicated to Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek's contribution to space exploration which is cool for any...

Alamogordo has a few culturally significant things to see - The Museum of Space History is one of those items. It's been around since the 70s, and it is filled with the history of the space program. It's mainly focused on US space history, but there's some international space history as long as a very nice tribute to Star Trek. The museum is friendly for kids, but has a lot of interesting information for adults, too. The museum has walking areas outside with interesting information about rockets and the early testing done to get ready for orbital launches. There is also a playground right next to this for kids to entertain themselves. Inside you'll find several floors of very interesting information, interactive displays, and artifacts. Ticket prices are typical for museums - ours were about $20. You take an elevator to the top and walk down gradually sloped ramps circling the central floors where the displays are until you get back to the bottom. It takes a couple of hours to absorb all the information. The museum sits on the side of a mountain at the far west side of Alamogordo. The views are stunning and you're able to see the entire Tularosa valley and the White Sands off in the distance.

The MSH is one of my favorite places to visit over the years, and definitely worth your time if you're driving through or staying...

A couple of weeks ago, we visited the Museum of Space History in Alamagordo, NM. It's a very interesting museum and I was very impressed with the layout and information provided. I can't comprehend the technical stuff though. One thing I did notice was a lack of representation of women and minorities. There was a photo of Sally Ride with no narrative, a photo of another woman astronaut whom I regret not noting her name, and a short narrative about Mae Jamison. Danny Olivas was pictured twice along with a replica of his space suit. As an advocate for women, I tend to be more aware of this than most people. Others wouldn't bat an eye. If I was one of those people, I sincerely would have thought minorities and women did not contribute to space exploration (aside from ancient peoples I suppose.) HAM, the first ape in space, had his own section. Wernher von Braun, received several mentions. However, von Braun was a member of the Nazi party. His association with the SS was covered up by the U.S. Army for years as the country worked to be first in the space race. Women have contributed as early as the mid-1700s and Black Americans since the late 1700s. I could go on, but it is the responsibility of the reader to do their own research. In summary, an ape and an Nazi received more credit for space exploration than women...